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. R eiuue'd. Sep t. 1 ,1932

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE A JOHN B. orsrrm, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR TO m nce raopucrscoaroan- TION, or BUFFALO, ew YORK Y no'roza vnrircm Original Ro,' 1',719,44 j, dated J'u1y 2, 1929, Serial reissue filed June 21,1932.- Serial No.' 618;510.

This invention relates tothe mounting of automatic windshield cleaners on automotive vehicles, and particularly to the association of the automatic windshield cleaner relative s to the construction of the motor vehicle body at the base of the windshield, whereby the collected moisture and snow on the windshield will be swept or directed'downwardly as the reciprocating wiper element of. the cleaner approaches its opposite limits of travel.

' Heretofore it has been the custom to mount,

the windshield cleaner motor adjacent the upper edge of the windshield and to have the wiper element depending therefrom for cleaning a definite zone on the windshield. In the oscillating type of windshield cleaners, the mounting of the cleaner adjacent the top of the windshield causes the wiper element to oscillate in a manner to carry the moisture and snow up-hill as the wiper element approaches either of its limits ofsure type of cleaner or to throw a reversing switch or mechanism in an electric type of cleaner in order to-eflect the proper operation of the motor.

As a means for obtaining from the automatic type 0 cleaner, the pres element of the cleaner to move so as to throw the collected moisture and snow downward which completion is required to reverse thearrangement of the valves in the fluid.pres-.

greater efliciencyent invention is design'ed'to cause the Wiper 1y. at the ends its strokes whereby the thus collected material will not run back over the cleaned areas of the windshield but rather continue to gravitate or flow, away from the cleaned area and thereby enable the operator' to see clearly through the entire area cleaned. In accomplishing this desideratum, stress has also been placed j upon the mounting and arrangementof the cleaner motor whereby the same is housed and protected from the elements of the weather and disposed soas not to' project or extend over into the space occupied by the windshield transparency. g Y

Thus, the objects of this invention are to .mount an automatic cleaner mechanism adjacent the base or lower edge of the windshield so as to sweep the moisture and snow in adownward direction as the wiper element approaches the ends of its stroke; to

mount the cleaner motor below the cowl and p to bring or extend its wiper carrying arm upwardly through a weather guarded cowl construction whereby the cleaner motor will be protected from the weather and at the same time a clean sweep of the wiper or element will be secured in such a manner as to throw the moisture and snow in a downward direction as the wiper element approaches its limits of movement; and to provide a hand control ormanipulator on or adjacent the instrument board within'the automobile whereby the wiper element may be manually operated and parked when not in use, 1 I

In the accompanying'drawing:

mountin-g of the windshield cleaner in ac-' 'cordance with the presentinvention.

with the wiper element in its operative relation to the windshield. I i .--;,Fig'. .3 is a fragmentary vertlcal section Fig. 2' is amore or less diagrammatic ele- Fig. 1 isa view from without showing the o 7 through the swinging type of windshield, the

instrument board and the cowl, showing the windshield cleaner motor in its operative position.

' instrument board to permit of vertical sliding adjustment of the windshield transparent panel.

Fig. is a detail view ofthis lowered mounting.

'Referring in particularto the drawing,

numeral 1 designates thewindshield, 2 the instrument board, 3 the cowl, and 4 the windshield cleaner motor which may be either of the fluid pressure type or the electric type, and which may be of the wiper oscillating type or of the wiper reciprocating type. The motor 4 may bemounted on suitable brackets, although in the present disclosure the same is mounted directly on the rear side, with respect to the operator of the vehicle, of the instrument board, with its operating shaft 5 protruding through the saine and provided with a manipulating handle 6. A motor control button or knob 7 also is provided on the instrument board and is readily accessible from within the car for controlling the operative connection between the motor and its source of power, fluid pressure or electric. The shaft 5 projects at its opposite end from the motor for having the wiper operating arm 8 attached thereto. The'cowl 3 provided with the slot'9 through which the wiper arm extends upwardly so that its upper end may operatively support a wiper element or blade 10 for sweeping across the windshield in an arc concentric with the wiper.

operating shaft 5. 1

A weather guard is provided to close the slot 9 to the entrance of rain, wind or snow, said weather guard beingsimple in construction and comprising a rear upstanding flange 11 and a forward upstanding flange 12, which flan es havetheir outer marginal portions pre erahly of semi-circular shape, the arcuate marginal portion of the forward flange 12 being extended beyond the adjacent portion of the flange 11 and'bent over the latter, as

indicated at 13, so as to @bstantially close the space intervening the'flanges. The closure or shutter portion 13 may be provided with a heador out-turned edge 14 so as to direct the moisture away. from the wiper carrying arm 8. The arcuate marginal portion 13 is spaced outwardly from the marginal flange 11 and defines with the latter an arcuate slot 15 in which operates an ofiset 16 of the wiper arm 8. In view of the fact that this slot 15 opens rearwardly or toward the windshield, the wiper arm is also offset rearwardly, thereby bringing the outer end of the arm adjacent the windshield for supporting the wiperelement. The weather guard com- "cle'aner mounted. shield.

, the panel is vertically slidable for ventilation,

the wiper cleaner motor may be mounted at a lower point, such as is indicated in Fig. 4.

If the conditions require, the wiper operating shaft 17 may be separate and distinct from the motor 18 and connected together as by a sgemental gear 19 and gear 20, or other suitable transmission -means may be interposed between the two shafts 17 and 18. Such lowering of the windshield cleaner motor will permit of the windshield panel being lowered to the full extent for which it is designed.

The advantages of placing the windshield cleaner motor beneath the cowl are many. It places the fluid pressure cleaner motor closer to the source of power and enables the use of a larger pipe for establishing communication between the motor and the source of fluid pressure or suction, such as the intake manifold of the motor vehicle engine. Since the motoris disposed behind the instrument board any attendant noises in the operation of the. motor are muflled, and further, the

motor ,may be properly lubricated without fear of having any' excess lubricant fall therefrom onto the windshield, as would be the case where the windshield motor is mounted adjacent the top of the windshield. The size of the motor may also be considerably enlarged when mounted in accordance with the present disclosure without obstructing the field of vision of the operator of the- 7 car. By reason of the handle 6 being disposed on the instrument board the wiper element may be manually manipulated from themstrument board which is much'more conveniently located and is more accessible than a at the top of the wind- Substantially the entire weight of the windshield cleaner motor and its operated parts is borne by the vehicle body and none of the weight is supported by the windshield. With the now prevalent and customary methods of mounting the windshield cleaner motor on the upper part of the windshield, the added weight of the accessory motor on the windshield frame, under the constant and more or less excessive vibration set up by the normal driving of the vehicle, tends to strain and weaken the windshield frame construction. The windshield frame construction, by its very nature, is trail as compared with the body or chassis construction of theautohas *mobile,'and since the motors of the automatic cleaners are heavy, their weight becomes a,

factor of considerable momentflwhen the cleaner motor is elevated on the windshield so high above the body. Further, in many lieved from supportin -any additional weight due to the attachment of a windshield cleaner, the windshield cleaner being supported in toto by and on the body of the vehicle.

What is claimed as new is: 1. In combination with the cowl and windshield of an automotive vehicle, of a windshield cleaner motor mounted beneath the cowl and housed thereby, said cowl having a slottherein substantially parallel to the vehicle windshield, a wiper arm 0 erably connected to the cleaner motor an extending upwardly through the cowl slot, a wiper element operably connected to the upwardly projecting arm and movable thereby in wiping contact with the windshield,'and a weather guard for the cowl slot. a

2. In combination with the cowl and windshield of a motor vehicle, said cowl having a slot parallel with the windshield, a windshield wiper operating shaft extending subbeneath the same so as to be'housed and concealed by the cowl, a weather guard mounted ing cowl having a slot parallel to the windshield, and an instrument board, beneath the windshield, a windshield cleaner motor housed beneath thev cowl and concealed be-- hind the instrument board,*a wiper arm operable by the motor and extending upwardly through the cowl slot, said\arm operating in the slot longitudinally thereof, a wiper operable over the windshield by said arm, and a motor control arranged on the instrument board.

4. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield, a forwardly extending cowl having a slot parallel to the windshield,

and an instrument board beneath the windshield, a windshield cleaner motor housed beneath the cowl and concealed behind the instrument board, a wiper arm operable b the motor and extending upwardly throng the cowl slot, awiper operable over the wind-- shield by said arm, a handle mounted on the instrument board and connected through the tending upwardly above the cowl through an opening-in the body construction for connection with the wiper element, and means on the instrument board for operating the shaft.

6. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield and a cowl having a transverse slot extending alongside of the windshield, a weather guard for the slot comprising upstanding flanges along the front and rear edges of the cowl slot with one flange having an arcuate free marginal portion overhanging the companion flange in spaced relation to substantially close the slot to the ,Weather, wiper operating means comprising a rockable shaft journalled beneath the cowl slot on the axis of said arcuate marginal portion, and a wiper arm secured to the shaft and extending upwardly through the cowl slot v and between the guard flanges for supporting stantlally transversely of the cowl slot and a wiper element against the Windshield, said wiper arm having an offset to pass about the overhanging marginal portion of said flange.

7. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield and a cowl having a transverse slot extending alongside of the windshield, a weather guard for the slot comprising upstanding flanges along the front and rear edges of the cowl slot with one flange having a part substantially closing ating means arranged below the cowl, a wiper arm operable by said means and extending therefrom upwa'rdly through the cowl slot and guard, and a wiper connected to the upper end of said arm.

8. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield, a cowl extending forwardly therefrom and provided with an opening, and an instrument board, a wiperelement having wiping contact with the windshield, a shaft housed beneath the cowl the space intervening the flanges,-wiper operand concealed thereby and also concealed by the instrument board, and an operative con 'nection between the wiper element and the shaft and extending through the opening in the cowl, the part of said connection in the cowl opening moving about a center and act- .ing to oscillate the wiper element back and forth over the windshield.

9. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield, a cowl extending forwardly therefrom and provided with 'an opening, and an instrument boa-rd, a=wiper element havin wiping contact with the windshield, windshield wiper actuatingmeans housed beneath the cowl and concealed thereby and 'also'by the instrument board, an operative connection between the wiper'element and the actuating meansand extending through the opening in the cowl, said connection movin in the cowl opening and actingito oscillate the wiper element back and forth over the windshield, and a weather housing for the cowl opening extending upwardly from the cowl and in front of the windshield, said operative connection extending through and operating in said weather housing.

10. In a motor vehicle body construction including a windshield, a body portion extending forwardly therefromand provided with anv opening an instrument board heneath the, windshield and within the body, a

wiper element having wiping contact with the windshield, 'a windshield cleaner mechoscillate the wiper element anism housed beneath the forwardly extending body portion and concealed theremechanism and extending through the opening in said bodyjportion, said connection moving in the body openin and acting to back and forth over the windshield, the operative connection and an operative connection between the wiper element and the windshield cleanerbetween the wiper element and the concealed windshield cleaner mechanism including transmission gearing through which the wiper element is oscillated on the windshield from the concealed cleaner mechanism.

11. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a vehicle body having a windshield-and a. forwardly extending body portion provided with a weather-proof opening therein, of a windshield wiper adapted to contact with the glass of said windshield but having no mounting connection with the latter,

.drive means, means extending from the'body through the weatherproof opening and connecting the drive means to the wipe'r for operating the latter said connecting means including-a pivotal y mounted wiper actuating arm and means connecting arm to the drive means, and means for =mounting and concealing the drive means within the body whereby portions of the vethe hicle body will shut from view said drive i means and bafile and mufile the sound of operation thereof and whereby said wiper will be caused to move by said drive 'means, the.

latter being h h y d protected f om the weather. v v

ion v 12. In a motor vehicle body construction I I including a nonerotatable windshield and a body portion extending forwardly from ad-,

- jacent the lower edge thereof, a windshield the limits of an arc of= a a drive shaft concealed'wlthin-the body conwiper oscillatable on the windshield within proximately 180, 

